5 Golden Rules for Health, Fitness & Wellness

A person’s health, fitness & wellness are all connected and if you are conscious about one of these aspects, you have to give consideration to the others as well. Here are 5 golden rules which you should abide by if you want to be healthy, fit and well in life.

Remember – you are what you eat

Nothing in life is without consequence, not even a cup of hot chocolate. The human body runs on food, but that doesn’t mean that everything you consume is burned (unless you are an extremely active athlete). The food you eat becomes part of your body because everything you consume is used for various purposes, including generating energy, building new cells and tissues and repairing existing ones. Given all this, you are essentially what you eat. If you eat a lot of fats, your body will start storing fat under your skin and the result will be weight gain and bloat. Consuming a lot of protein on the other hand gives your muscles the required nutrients to further develop, and if you couple that with exercise, you can easily gain muscle mass. From now on, remember to eat only what you need and be careful about maintaining a balance between the different types of foods.

Moving is the essence of life

If your lifestyle is sedentary, you are effectively damaging your health. The human body is build for movement and work, nothing in your body is without purpose and if you don’t use your muscles they are not any different than a great car sitting idle and getting rusty. Even if your job does not allow you to work out extensively, you need to find ways to involve activity and movement in your life. Take regular breaks, walk to your work place or back home, wake up early for a quick run and try standing up during work hours whenever you can. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn and consequently weight gain will not be as big a concern for you as it is for people who sit around all day long.

Regulate your sleeping habits

Sleep is one of the most underrated requirements for people, especially in this noisy era. Televisions, phones, computer and internet take up most of our waking hours as well as cutting in on time we all should be resting our minds and bodies. Improper sleeping habits not only affect you physically but also mentally. When you are soundly asleep, your body releases various hormones and gets to work on a lot of repairs. A good night’s sleep is essential for a fresh mind and body and your overall wellness.

Eat slowly and regularly

One of the biggest problems we have today is lack of time, or so we think. Eating has become more of a secondary thing and people usually munch through their meals without giving consideration to how they eat. Our stomach and brain are two separate entities and while they are connected, there is a delay between our stomach actually getting full and our brain registering that we have indeed eaten enough. If you eat too fast, you will almost always eat more than your body requires. Eating slowly is hence very important, because it gives your brain time to register that you have had enough, consequently avoiding overeating.

Don’t underestimate the importance of water

The average human body has anywhere between 50-65% water, which should give you an indication of how important hydration is. Unfortunately, with the influx of various processed drinks, water itself has taken a backseat in our daily lives. Water is actually one of the biggest gifts of nature and is responsible for the smooth functioning of our metabolism, keeping our skin fresh, running our digestive system and helping in overall circulation. Lack of water itself can lead to several health issues, especially when it comes to our natural waste filters, the kidneys.